The Orb vs. David Gilmour, 'Metallic Spheres' (Columbia/Sony)

The coupling of mischievous electronic outfit the Orb with the classic guitar-rock soaring of Pink Floyd's David Gilmour is not that strange a fit: the Orb's Dr. Alex Paterson previously collaborated with prog guitar hero Steve Hillage, while Floyd fully inhabited a similar stoner headspace in the early '70s. Across two epic, messy tracks, the pair go around the world: classic ambient house, dated trip-hop, thundering drum loops, weird dub, even down-home picking, yet stay nowhere long enough for anything to really take hold.